Turkey Builds First Indigenous Submarine MILDEN | Defense Milestone
Türkiye Starts Building 1st Indigenous Submarine
by Daily Sabah with Agencies
ISTANBUL Dec 04, 2025 - 1:36 pm GMT+3
An official speaks during the National Defense Ministry's weekly briefing, Ankara, Türkiye, Dec. 4, 2025. (IHA Photo)
Turkish officials said on Thursday that construction work had started on the country's first indigenous submarine, MILDEN, adding that Ankara had also completed its first sale of a corvette warship to a NATO ally by inking an agreement with Romania.
NATO member Türkiye, which has ramped up defense industry production and cut dependence on foreign providers, said last week that contractors had begun building its indigenous TF-2000 naval air defense destroyer. It will be part of the planned "Steel Dome" multilayered air defense system.
"Following the construction of the first block of the TF-2000 Air Defense Destroyer at our Istanbul Shipyard Command, construction of the first test block of our National Submarine (MILDEN) has begun at our Gölcük Shipyard Command."
The National Defense Ministry made this announcement at its weekly briefing on Thursday.
Key Defense Industry Milestones
The ministry also highlighted several significant achievements:
- First NATO Corvette Sale: ASFAT company, operating under the ministry's jurisdiction, signed a deal with Romania's Defense Ministry to export one Akhisar light corvette, marking the first such sale by Türkiye to a NATO ally.
- World First Achievement: The Kızılelma unmanned warplane, developed by Baykar, successfully destroyed an airborne target in the Black Sea using the Aselsan-produced Murad AESA radar and Gökdoğan beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile developed by TÜBITAK SAGE.
- Steel Dome Development: Turkish defense companies have signed $6.5 billion (TL 275.90 billion) worth of contracts to reinforce and develop the "Steel Dome" air defense system.
Growing Defense Industry Independence
Türkiye has reduced its dependency on foreign sources notably in the past two decades, emerging as a growing defense player with a series of projects and products involving drones, naval platforms and land vehicles.
Global Recognition: The recent report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed that Türkiye added one more company to the list of the world's top 100 weapons makers as global sales of arms and military services hit a new record last year.
Defense Projects Overview
Major Indigenous Defense Projects
- MILDEN (National Submarine): First indigenous submarine project, construction started in December 2025 at Gölcük Shipyard Command.
- TF-2000 Air Defense Destroyer: Indigenous naval air defense destroyer, part of the planned "Steel Dome" system.
- Akhisar-class Corvette: Light corvette warship, recently exported to Romania marking Türkiye's first sale to a NATO ally.
- Kızılelma Unmanned Warplane: Baykar-developed drone that recently achieved a world first by destroying an airborne target with indigenous systems.
- Steel Dome System: Multilayered air defense system with $6.5 billion in development contracts.
Strategic Importance: Türkiye's indigenous defense projects represent a significant shift toward self-sufficiency and strategic autonomy in defense capabilities, reducing foreign dependency and establishing the country as a major player in the global defense industry.
The simultaneous progress on multiple major defense projects demonstrates Türkiye's commitment to developing a comprehensive and integrated defense ecosystem, with indigenous submarines, destroyers, unmanned systems, and air defense networks all advancing simultaneously.
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